A 95-year-old woman, alongside 200 wild animals, was rescued from a “squalor” home after the arrest of two individuals from Long Island, according to PEOPLE. Suffolk County District Attorney’s office revealed that they arrested 57-year-old Samantha Boyd and 61-year-old Neal Weschler, her partner, for animal cruelty and endangering an elderly person.
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Police Find 200 Wild Animals And Trapped 95-Year-Old Woman Inside “Squalor” Home
These arrests happened on Wednesday, October 1, after deputies responded to a disturbing report. The caller alleged that Boyd was hoarding dozens of animals in her house.
Police had no idea they would be coming face to face with over 200 animals, some of them wild, overcrowding the home. The home was also infested with “insects, spiders, and other pests.”
They were also dealing with a horribly cluttered home that made some areas dangerous to bypass. “In addition to animal overcrowding, the house was alleged to be extremely cluttered wall-to-wall with debris, garbage, and household waste, making certain areas impassable,” said the SC District Attorney’s Office.
In total, authorities found 206 animals “living in cages with piles of waste and filth” inside the home. They also had unsanitary food and water sources for the plethora of animals.
These included “roosters, squirrels, ducks, pigeons, quail, rabbits, crows, starlings, geese, chipmunks, doves, chickens, hamsters, ferrets, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, voles, flying squirrels, parakeets, parrots, cockatoos, chinchillas, cats, tortoises, dogs and turkeys,” among many others.
Other than the animals, officers found Boyd’s elderly mother “confined” in a second-floor room. She was essentially trapped behind the debris, making it nearly impossible for her to leave.
How It Got This Bad
Boyd, according to the authorities, had her home “certified” as an official wildlife sanctuary. This was with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, but it turned out to be quite the opposite of a sanctuary.
“The level of neglect was unconscionable as the animals were in poor condition and living in squalor,” said Kevin Catalina, Suffolk County Commissioner, in a statement.
John Di Leonardo with Humane Long Island explained how this isn’t a singular issue. “A lot of people are getting their license just so they can hoard wild animals and keep them as pets and wild animals belong in the wild,” said Leonardo.
After this discovery, police alerted the department to the deplorable conditions. They had also partnered with at least eight different animal rescue organizations. Hopefully, this would allow them to rescue the animals from the house of horrors.
As for the mother, ABC 7 reported that the 95-year-old woman has since been removed from the home. She is reportedly receiving care and is hopefully healthy.